Vengeance Racing And Huron Speed Team Up For An Epic ZL1 Build

Working in the automotive industry certainly has its advantages —we get to see cool cars, new parts and go to incredible shows like Holley’s LS Fest, SEMA, PRI, and more. The only thing better than working in this industry that we love might be owning a business in it. Just think about it: you get to work in a super-cool industry surrounded by people with the same passion as you. And not only do you get to build cool products, get this you might need to purchase a new car, not because you want one, but because you “need” them for R&D purposes. 

Building the Huron Speed ZL1 familiarized Vengeance Racing with the new product so they could, in turn, sell and install these systems with confidence.

The Project

Jon Ojczyk, the owner of Huron Speed Products, is in the business of building turbo systems for GM cars and trucks and LS-swapped Fox-body Mustangs. When it came time to gear up for a turbo system for the sixth-gen Camaro, Ojczyk used a 1LE Camaro for the fabrication process of the Huron Speed twin-turbo kit. However, when it was time for the test and tune session, Ojczyk had a different idea.

“We originally had a 2017 SS 1LE Camaro that we used for fabrication of the kit. We then bought this car to showcase the system as the A10 transmission, and other ZL1 model benefits are more optimal,” Ojczyk explained.

Huron Speed And Vengeance Racing Team Up

Before purchasing the 2018 Camaro ZL1, Ojczyk teamed up with Vengeance Racing (VR) to get a gameplan in place. Ojczyk said, “We wanted to send them the car and the kit and have them build up the rest of the Camaro to showcase the potential of our new system. Building the Huron Speed ZL1 would also familiarize VR with the product so they could, in turn, sell and install these systems with confidence in the future.” 

This ZL1 might have come from the factory with a supercharger, but Vengeance Racing replaced it with a Huron Speed twin-turbo system. A pair of 68/71 Comp oil-less turbos were utilized in this kit and can produce over 1,300 horsepower to the wheels.

With a plan in place, Ojczyk purchased a black ZL1 early in 2019 from a local dealership, Moran Chevrolet. The car was then shipped out to Cumming Georgia, en route to Vengeance racing with a Huron Speed twin-turbo system. Instead of merely removing the supercharger from the ZL1, Ron Mowen, owner of Vengeance Racing, and Ojczyk had a different idea. They were going all-in on this project to build a radical street car that could showcase what both companies had to offer. And as with any project, the build snowballed quickly as Vengeance Racing got to work. 

The Engine And Transmission

The first order of business was to remove the supercharged LT4, strip it down to a short block, and ship it off to Bryan Neelen and his crew at Late Model Engines (LME). LME took the 378 and built a 416 cubic-inch monster with a proven power rating of 1,400 horsepower to the wheels. The company bored the block to 4.070-inches before installing a blueprinted Callies 4340 Magnum crankshaft that offers a 4.000-inch stroke and Clevite H-series main bearings. After the crank is set in place, ARP main studs are used to ensure the crank stays in place. A set of 6.125-inch rods connected to Wiseco Forged FI pistons with gas ports via tool steel heavy wall .200-inch wrist pins. The LT4 short block was crated up and shipped back to Georgia.

While LME worked its magic, Tim King, owner of TK Performance, was getting busy on the ZL1’s A10 transmission. Parts and pieces were replaced to guarantee the 10L90E could take everything that Vengeance Racing could throw at it. 

The Build

With the engine and transmission back at the shop, VR still had a lot of work to do. Since it just had LME build the short block, the crew needed to make it a long block. For that, it used a set of Vengeance Racing CNC ported LT4 cylinder heads, a VR camshaft package, and an LME billet intake manifold. 

Huron Speed’s Twin-Turbo Kit

With the LME 416 mill, TK Performance transmission, and a Circle-D torque convertor back in the sixth-gen, it was time to install the Huron Speed twin-turbo system. The system’s aluminum cold side was coated Lollypop red, and the stainless steel hot side was done in matte black ceramic. A pair of 68/71 Comp oil-less turbos were utilized in this kit and can produce over 1,300 horsepower to the wheels. The turbo system also includes a Turbosmart Race Port blowoff valve and Hypergate wastegate. Huron upgraded to the Bell 6-inch intercooler, which it offers as an upgrade to the base system. 

Since Huron Speed’s twin-turbo kit mounts the turbo’s under the car, you don’t have to worry about the heat in the engine bay that is associated with top mount systems.

An interesting note about Huron’s twin-turbo system for the sixth-gen Camaro: this kit retains all OEM accessories in their proper locations. This system is straightforward to install, and everything is above the factory skid plate, keeping this system protected from some of the elements on the open road. If you choose to run the Comp oil-less turbochargers, you don’t even need to drill and tap the pan or run oil lines to and from the engine. And since the turbos are mounted under the car, you won’t have heat issues commonly associated with top and front mount turbos.

The Lollipop Red and black ceramic coating make for a show-stopping look under the hood of the ZL1.

More Mods

Since VR was planning on making some serious power, many other components needed to be upgraded on the ZL1. The first thing addressed with the LT4 was the direct injection (DI) fueling system. While you can get additional flow out of the DI, VR needed a lot more for this combination. So, it installed a Vengeance Racing custom race low-side fuel system in conjunction with a Prospeed Autosports ACM port-injection system and boost controller. 

The factory rear axle was left alone, but a Driveshaft Shop driveshaft was used to ensure all of the newfound power was delivered safely from the 10L90E. The rear suspension was swapped out for BMR Suspension components, which included its cradle braces. Carlyle Racing‘s 15-inch conversion allows the Camaro to run a set of 15-inch Weld S71’s on the rear. Ojczyk opted for 18-inch Alumistars on the front, giving the car a sinister look. The only thing left to do before hitting the rollers was to finish up the exhaust system. Vengeance installed a complete Corsa unit that tucks nicely under the sixth-gen. 

While the Huron Speed ZL1 makes 923 wheel horsepower on 93 pump gas, with added boost and X98 VP Racing fuel, the Camaro put down an impressive 1,258 horsepower and 1,087 lb-ft of torque at the wheels.

On The Dyno

Finally, it was time to get the twin-turbo ZL1 on the dyno to see what kind of power the new combination could make. After some tuning and a few pulls, the Camaro laid down an impressive 923 rear wheel horsepower with 93 octane in the tank and only 14-pounds of boost. Vengeance then swapped the pump gas for X98 from VP Racing Fuels and spun the rollers up again. The black sixth-gen took a liking to the new fuel and recorded 1,009 horsepower at the same boost level without any type of methanol injection. For the final pull, the guys at VR racing closed up the wastegates with the ProSpeed ACM, giving the engine 25-pounds of boost. These changes netted an impressive increase in power of 1,258 horsepower and 1,087 lb-ft of torque at the wheels.

Ojczyk has taken the Huron Speed ZL1 down the 1/4-mile with a best time of 9.21 at 154 miles per hour. However, the car has a lot left in it with suspension tuning.

As of today, the Huron Speed ZL1 has a best time of 9.21 in the 1/4-mile at 154 miles per hour. It is working on adding more boost and playing with the two-step for better 60-foot times and a lower e.t.’s. Oh, and Ojczyk is enjoying the car using it as a daily driver. He said, “It gets full-time street use now, and it’s the ultimate street machine!” 

With 1,000 horsepower on pump gas, we agree, 100-percent. 

 

About the author

Brian Havins

A gearhead for life, Brian is obsessed with all things fast. Banging gears, turning wrenches, and praying while spraying are just a few of his favorite things.
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